#ChineseFoodiesofIG: Jing (Jenny) Gao, Fly By Jing

 

This is part of an ongoing series of interviews I’m doing with my favourite Chinese foodies that I follow on Instagram. Come and follow the #ChineseFoodiesofIG hashtag on Instagram and leave a comment showing your support for these talented folk!

Where are you from? Where are you really from?

Chengdu, Sichuan, but grew up moving around a lot, so kind of everywhere.

What does home taste like?

Like a warm bowl of mapo tofu on rice.

Rice or noodles?

Hot and sour sweet potato noodles

Dream dinner party guests:

David Sedaris

Who's your Chinese food legend?

Ken Hom

Share a food memory:

Eating street snacks like zhong dumplings and sweet water noodles in the fly restaurants near my grandparents' home in Chengdu was one of my earliest eye-opening encounters with the beautifully balanced flavor profiles of Sichuan. I've been chasing that feeling since.

Chinese kitchen utensil I can't live without:

Long chopsticks

The perfect stir fry:

Anything in the fridge, with some garlic, soy sauce, fish sauce, sesame and chili oil.

What would you like to tell the world about Chinese food?

You can't grasp the depth and complexity of China's 5,000 year food culture without visiting the source. Even then, it would take years to travel through the land and experience the evolution of the cuisine over time and across geographies. The journey of discovering Chinese cuisine is constant because it's dynamic and ever-changing, and that's what makes it so fascinating.

 
#ChineseFoodiesofIGJenny Lauchinese identity, sichuan, ma la, chilli oil, chilli sauce, chengdu, noodlesComment